UPDATE: I kept the purple bag and I love it!

My husband is usually pretty good to me and he rocks at picking out purses! What can I say...he has an eye for pretty awesome leather bags (with a little help from Erin). Coach is one of my favs, so he can't really go wrong.

Under the tree was this little beauty:

Coach's Madison Leather Sophia Satchel



Now the dilemma is...do I keep this beautiful purple color or do I trade for a more neutral color? I'm scared that I'll easily tire of this color. Even thought it made my heart skip a beat when I saw it in the Coach window (everything looks better up on that white block...as does the Ann Taylor and Banana dressing rooms, what kind of lighting trance do the have in there?) The only other colored bag I own is red... 
Here is another color that I'm thinking, which is more boring than the purple, but would work with everything and for years, but will also get dirty quickly. I wish it came in a more tan color.

Help me readers....what should I do?

Say Yes to the Dress...or not?

I do not think I have ever spent so much time, energy, and resources on dress for New Year's Eve. I seriously did not spend this much time on my wedding gown (it was the third dress I tried one!) Usually I do not have big plans but this year we are going to get all "dolled up" and head to the Hilton, and party like it's 1999. I returned the silver sequin dress from ASOS.com seen here and went on a hunt for something different with a better fit.

Option One is this Banana Republic Dress:

Seen here on the Banana Model

  

and here on Me

Close up to see that awesome necklace! Love, love, love it!



Back View (with a little Boxer on the side)





Option Number Two is the Victoria's Secret Moda Sweater Dress:



Seen here on the Sexy Alessandra

and here on Me

 

Back view...which Victoria's Secret does not show...so this was a complete surprise to me

Now, I need your help. Option One, Option Two, or Neither...which translates to me starting all over with only a few days to spare. I personally think I like number two, the VS dress better than the Banana Dress. Not sure I am busty enough to pull off the Banana Dress. HELP!

Not in Love...

First off, I apologize for the crappy iPhone picture. So...after two weeks of patiently waiting for my sequin ASOS dress to arrive...I finally received it and was ready to put the suspense to an end. My hopes and dreams of a sequin dress were quickly crushed as I was impressed with the quality, but disappointed in the fit. There was not a lot of shape to this dress up top. Maybe if I'd ordered a smaller size (but then I think it would've been way too short and tight in my booty) and maybe if it had more spandex in it to give it shape....Oh, the "What If's".

Decision: RETURN...

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

I am gifting to you my friends a little holiday cheer in the form of a cupcake! Enjoy!

What it is:
Peppermint Buttercreme Icing
Dark Chocolate Cake

What you need:
Icing for 24 cupcakes

• Two sticks of softened butter (I use Blue Bonnet...not sure that it really matters)
• 2 teaspoons of Peppermint Extract (in the spice aisle)
• 5-6 cups of powdered sugar (more if you want a stiffer icing)
• 2 tablespoons of Heavy whipping Cream
• Pillsbury Dark Cake Mix (eggs, oil, water)
• Small Candy Canes

What to do:
Use a mixer to whip your butter. If the butter is not soft...this does not work. about 45-60 seconds will do the trick. Once your butter is whipped, add in sugar about 2 cups at a time. If you dump it all in at once, trust me, you will have a powdered sugar MESS! Once you have all the sugar mixed in and blended with the butter, add your whipping cream and then you peppermint extract. Taste test to see if you need more extract. 2 teaspoons seemed to be plenty to me, especially since you are going to add crushed up candy canes to the top. Less is more in this department.

Cake:
I will be quite honest....there are lots of good start from scratch cake mixes, but the Blue Pillsbury box mix is pretty awesome all in it's self. It is moist and delicious. If you don't want to deal with all that from scratch mess then go with the box. For the sake of time, I used the Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from Pillsbury. Make as directed on the box. I only cooked for 18 mins on 350 degrees and it was perfect. You do not want to over cook or the cake will be dry. Go for 18 mins and test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean then you are good to go and they are done.

I let my cupcakes cool for a good hour or overnight if possible. The icing will melt if you put it on hot cake. I store them in the refrigerator overnight and put the icing on the next day.

Final Touches:
I get a Wilton's Tip 1mm from Michael's to pipe with. There are lots of tutorials online on how to pipe using a 1mm tip. Get the piping bags, they work way better than a baggie. People will "Ooh" an "Aahhh" over your cupcakes if you pipe them rather than just slopping some icing on. So if you are going for the "wow" factor...invest in a tip. You will use that one a lot. You can make swirls or rose looks with this tip.

After you have piped the icing onto the cakes it's time for the Candy Canes. I used the small ones. Cut the hook portion of the candy cane off. Keep the top as you will crush these in a baggie and sprinkle on each cupcake. Take the stick part and push into the icing and cake with a little sticking out of the top. Put the cut off end in first not to be seen. Then sprinkle your crushed up (very finely crushed) candy canes onto the cupcakes.

Finished Product:

Life is Better in Sequins

Everyone needs something sparkly and shiny to ring in the new year. This New Year's Eve I am actually going to be at a fancy dancy party....which means....PARTY DRESS!!! I have searched 1,967 websites for the perfect New Year's Eve dress I have come up with the following options. Have I mentioned I'm so over the dress options from the Limited and Express...plus everyone will have them. A lot of my options are from this awesome new site, Asos (disclaimer: I haven't actually ordered from but most everything looks amazing and is reasonably priced with free shipping).

Which dress would you go with? One of the sequined? One of the purple jewel tones? or the meshy VS one? Ugh, at first I couldn't find any....now there are too many! Help me pick.

ASOS Sequined Dress $68.96

ASOS Folded Origomi Dress $79.30

VS Long-Sleeved Sweaterdress $59

Lulu's Gold Party Dress $79

ASOS Slinky One Shoulder $65.51

ASOS All Over Sequined Keyhole Back Dress $68.96

Text Me!

Back in the day....many, many years ago when I was a teenager, I only wish I could have been as cool as this 12-year-old: Lil' Miss Sydney. Not only is she absolutely adorable, has a big beautiful heart and not to mention hair (thank you Brazilian Blowout!), is an amazing singer-song writer, but she has impeccable style. I can only wish my life could have been this cool when I was her age. Back in my teenage days straightening irons did not exist, my bangs were "punked" as high as I could get them, our skinny pants had stir-ups attached, cell phones did not exist...more less know what texting is, and I'm pretty sure the coolest pair of shoes I owned were either Tretorns or Keds. Check out Sydney's amazing new boots from her latest photo shoot. The Rocket Dog "Slinger" Boot. You can buy them here or stop in your local Off Broadway Shoes to pick up a pair.

Check out Sydney's music page here. You can preview a lot of her own music and a few covers. You can see her a a few local Lexington places, including: WoodSong's Old Time Radio Hour, Natasha's Bistro & Bar (Saturday acoustic), and other local events. Hope you enjoy the boots and the music! Love ya Syd!



Ridiculous Sales

There are crazy good sales going on at the mall this weekend. If you are shopping for youself or for others do not miss out on these deals:

Gap/Banana Republic/Old Navy/Piperlime:
The Deal: Give and Get Promo
30% your purchase off click here for coupon
Expires: Sunday, Nov 14

My Picks: I got these Rocha Nine West suede pumps from Piperlime. $41.93 plus free shipping. I really needed closed toe black pumps. I do not own a single pair.

Express
The Deal: 30% off Outerwear, Bottoms, Tees, Tanks, Shirts,Jewelry, and Hair accessories B1G1 5-% off, and Select Sweaters 30% off, Save $15 off for every $60 you spend (get printable coupon here), online code: 8559
Expires: Sunday, Nov 14th

My Picks: Tiered Bottom Wool Peacoat (30% off...I grabbed this about a month ago in the Navy for the same price), (Minus the) Leather Quilted Shoulder Jacket  (30% off in black), Oversize Shawl-Collar Fly Away Sweater Jacket  (30% off and I love the green), Textured Chiffon Ruffled Brown (30% off), Oversized Silk Military Shirt (BOGO 1/2 off), and  the Removable Fur Trim Sweater Jacket (new arrival!)


The Limited
The Deal: 40% off all accessories, $25.00 off a 2nd pair of pants, $50 off select Jackets, Select Shirts 30% off.
Expires: ???

My Picks: Bone Charm Dog Collar (40% off), Houndstooth Dog Coat (40% off in green...to match my Green Houndstooth Skirt), Covered Skinny Belt  (40% off), Ruffle Rib Glove (40% off), Twisted Cable Snood Scarf (40% off and in Charcol), Cashmere Infinity Scarf (40% off), Cable Draped Cardigan (I got this in Natural a few weeks back and love it!), Cassidy Flannel High Waist Pant (in flannel), and the Plainweave True Boyfriend Jacket.


Ann Taylor Loft
The Deal: Extra 30% off all sale items, Cozy Cable V-neck Sweater $25, 5 Sweaters priced at $29.50
Expires: This weekend only

My Picks: Grosgrain Cardigan ($29.50), Scoop Neck Sweater ($29.50 fav in dark grey), Ribbon Shoulder Sweater (Gavel Grey), Military Sweater Coat, Inky Blue Wash Denim Leggings, Wool Twill Skirt, Ruffle Back Tweed Jacket,  Natasha Suede Bow Pump, Percy Shearling Trim Leather Riding Boot (I grabbed these in black), and Faux Fur Neck Warmer.

New York and  Company
The Deal: BOGO 1/2 off the whole store! $30 off a $75 code: 1511
Expires: ??? (probably thru the weekend)

My Picks: Gramercy Cable Turtleneck Sweater, Ruffle Trim Cardigan, Plaid Hudson Pant, Street Scene Sequin Tank, and Chiffon Ruffle Tank.

Happy Shopping!

Dear Santa....

I absolutely love the Christmas season now that I do not work retail. Those of you who have worked retail during the Holidays know exactly what I mean! Christmas Shoppers are just plain grumpy...so be nice to the people working at the stores. They only get lots of unhappy shoppers, especially those that wait until the last minute (like me) and that can make for a miserable, long work day. Now...back to presents for me...remember...this is my blog and it's all about what I want. Plus, I have a hard time shopping for others because I stress over the gift being the "perfect gift." And I can't post their gifts on here or they'd know what I bought them...ps... I have not bought one gift for Christmas yet. I will not be the person finished by Black Friday and I will be the person grabbing a last minute gift the week of Christmas. It's just how it is and I am okay with that. If I had to buy my own gifts, life would be much easier. I already know what I would ask Santa for (in order of most desired of course):



Apple iPad (I am not picky on the "gigs" or wifi vs. 3G... I just want one!)



Protection for my iPad (Candy Shell Speck Case) $49.00
I really wanted a monogrammed version of these iPhone covers, but they do not yet exist.

 Express Moto Faux Leather Jacket $98
Not sure if I can resist...it's currently on sale 30% off  through 11/14 and I have a $20 off $60 purchase, so this jacket would cost me $51.52. Buy it here.

Chelsea Handler's Book "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang"

Ann Taylor Loft Night Suede Pump $98.00.

I do not own a single pair of closed toe black pumps, just booties. Buy it here.

Burberry Brit Perfume.

I hate buying myself Perfume, but I really do love this scent. I have wanted it for a few years now and I have yet to purchase it. Retails ridiculously high at Ulta...but cheaper at Kohl's and Gordman's.

Chance of Flurries....

Brrrr...shiver, shiver. I hate the cold. There is nothing more miserable than being so cold that you can't feel your feet, can't feel your fingers, and your back hurts from shivering so hard. I do however love, love, love putting on a cozy sweater to warm up. And just when I thought all the great fall sweaters were out on the shelves...they hit me with more! Dang them. The good news is...late November, December, and January = Fabulous Sales on these great sweaters!
American Eagle has stepped up their game and are putting out some great options:

AE Snowflake Toggle $79.50 buy here

Aerie Leopard Cardi $69.50 get it here





There are some wish list options from my new favorite, Ann Taylor Loft:


Faux fur Cardigan $98 buy here



Military Sweater Coat $128 buy here



Jeweled Shoulder Sweater $69.50 here



What's your favorite thing to put on when the weather cools down?



If ony I'd had this yesterday...

New Flash

My Peacock Costume won 2nd Runner up last night at Drakes. I was pulling for first and everyone loved my costume....but I lost to Teen Wolf and some Madd Hatter who claimed to have made his entire costume I mean really, how original is your costume when there are two of you there. He didn't hot glue over 100 peacock feathers onto his costume. There were sooo many good costumes. A couple did the best scarecrow and tin(wo)man, the mouse DJ thing from the VMA's, hungry hungry hippos, Saved by the Bell (minus the dork), Scooby Doo and his gang.

Oh well no hard feelings. I didn't have to win anything....but it was fun that I did. And the $50 Gift Card to BHG will come in handy. Here is a picture of me and Mr. Teen Wolf.

My friend Amanda went as Snooki and an awesome Snooki she was! Everyone wanted a picture with her. No joke! You would've thought she was the real deal. How fun would it be to go out as the Jersey Shore Gang if you really are the Jersey Shore Gang on Halloween and pretend you are in costume. Surprisingly no-one else in the whole place was dressed up as a Jersey Shore character. I was for sure their would be tons!

Incredible Weekend Deals!

Saturday's mission: do little to nothing, exchange a few things, and maybe shop around a bit. I am really, really trying to not spend money on clothes this month because I bought way too much stuff over the past month. The changing of the season is always a big splurge for me. It doesn't help matter's that ATL keeps putting out such cute stuff and sucking me in. They know my will power is low. Speaking of cute stuff, I am however disappointed with how uncute the stuff at The Limited is. I literally had to search, and search, and search again before finding something I could spend my virtual dollars on last week. We all know we can't just let those expire. Sucking me in again!

So I set out to find a few things yesterday and I found three of the four things on my list. I found blue feather eye lashes for my costume. Oh and Thank you Halloween City for selling crap, at the highest price possible...my bottle of glue was completely empty...so I had to go back out and get some. I found tights at Target for $5.00 and they are a little UK blueish (no teal but they still look great!) I found my wrap at Macy's for 50% off the original price. Got  my pants exchanged at AE (perfect fit now), switched my pants at Express (now they are too big..geeze I shoulda tried them on), and found these goodies as a little Happy Halloween Treat to me:

AE Cargo Jeggings for $14.00 (these are not them...the ones I got are sold out on-line, but look almost identical to these AE ones minus the side zippers and are way softer!).



Sunni Mid Calf Leather Boot. Normally $128. In the store (note: online they are $89.99) they were marked down to $49.99 and an additional 30% off! Making them a whopping $37.00 after tax! Not to mention, I used my Best Costume Contest Gift Card, so I spent $12 on them. Thank you Julie for the  ATL boot notice!

I am still on the hunt for a fur vest. The Old Navy one was put on clearance and sold out. I like this one featured on Piperlime.com (below) but I'm not sure I want to spend $70 on it. I just don't know that I would wear it $70 worth. And the reviews say it's a little cropped. I'm not sure if a cropped one or a hit-at-waist one would be better. If you see a good one out there for less, let me know!



Tinley Road Fur Vest $69.00. Buy it here.



What Mindy Wants Now!

Wow with that title this list could go on, and on, and on, and on........What doesn't Mindy want? Everything.

This weekend I am on the hunt for a few things (with a few Halloween things thrown in there). The list includes but is not limited to:

1. Blue Feathery Eyelashes (for Hallween, not real life)

2. Teal Tights (for Halloween and maybe real life)

3. A faux fur vest (see photo below for my inspiration)

4. A faux Burberry plaid wrap. Not a real Burberry because I have a house  payment to make and we have already discussed how I do not, even though it's fun to pretend, have an endless supply of money. Eek! the truth is out. Hope we can still be friends.

It's all because of Olivia Palermo that I really, really want a black faux fur vest. Dang her for being so cute (excpet for those glasses...not a fan). This outfit is so simple, but I am loving it. I am a huge fan of all black. Probably too much of a fan.

I also have a few mall stops to make for exchanges. AE to get a smaller size in skinny jeans. Express for a larger size in skinny cargos. Seriously can we not get women's sizing down to a science? If I buy a four it should be a four. It is 2010...and while I'm complaining, gosh dang it we need to figure out how to warm up the spray tan solution!

I think Macy's has the wrap (Thank you Julie!), on sale, plus I have a coupon! Now to track down the fur vest. I saw one at Old Navy a few weeks back...when I wanted a brown one...so I'm not sure if it will still exist or not. Fingers crossed.

Happy Halloween 2010

Finally! Hallowen is here (well Halloween Party day anyhow) and I can now reveal my most incredible creation to the world!

Best Costume 2010

There's a little (no pun intended Ali, even though you look so tiny next to me that I could carry you around in my pocket) Elphaba in my picture, but don't worry...she won't call the flying monkey's to attack!  Even if she did I'm sure that my peacock beauty would put them in a trance.

There are over 100 peacock feather's in my entire costume. I made every last piece (except the leggings...Express made those) the earrings (can't really see here), the peacock tail, the arrangement on the front of my corset (black corest is from The Limited a few years back), the double tutu (with peacock feathers sewn in) and my shoes are adorned with peacock feathers. I'm thinking about spicing it up a bit for going out tonight as I try to win something at Drakes. I am in it to win it! Although it is ridiculously cold (insert a brrr and a shiver here) in the Bluegrass this weekend, considering last Saturday it was 80 degrees! Why can that not be today? You really cannot make me happy...if it's 80 I'm mad I can't wear my OTKB and if it's 50 out then I can't wear my Peacock costume. So I may and may not get a little funky with changes....I may add a peacock shrug, peacock leg warmers, and peacock socks to keep warm!

Here are some other great shots of my works Halloween Costumes:



It's Flo from Progressive. How does she always know the insurance that we need?



A beautiful Geisha (and her trusty peacock)





Glenda and Elphaba

I didn't get a great shot of everyones costume (horrible inside lighting), even though this is one of the best years as far as costumes go! Abvoe we have in addition to the ones already shown: an Egyptian Princess, The Dixie Chicks, an alligator, a flapper, a cave girl, a vampire, an old man/geezer, the black-eyed peas, an apple, and an etch-a-sketch.

I work with really fun, creative people. Be jealous!! We are fabulous!

Oh! And not to bring it back to me....but this is my blog...check out my great tan. It's obvious I did not get bronze from laying out in the 50 degree sun and fake-n-baking is horrible for your skin (I gave it up this past spring and yes, I will pat myself on the back-pat, pat, pat). It is compliments of "No Line Tanning" at Hair Cafe. They have an airbrush consultant and she does an amazing job! I've been using Versa Spa from Sun Tan City since about June and while it looks good (I go regularly twice a week) everyone noticed how great my new tan looked. There definitely was a difference in the quality of product going on my body. I highly recommend them and can send you their info or you can find them on Facebook here. There is Costume Contest, so if you want to enter to win one month unlimited call them asap!

Happy Halloween! Be Safe. Don't Drink and Drive!




**disclaimer: If anyone would prefer to not be featured in my blog, please facebook me asap and I'll remove your picture, even though these are all so, so good and taken by me personally.



Peter Riding Boot ATL

For those of you interested the Peter Riding Boot at ATL is back up!!

Click Here to buy.

30% off with code: GOFORIT

Oh Canada!

I am finally back in the "States" as the Canadians like to call it and I am O-So-Happy! Going that long without my iPhone should be illegal. It is however interesting to see how I function without technology. Well to be honest...it's not good. Do you know how hard it is to locate restaurants in a city you are unfamiliar with without your "Map" App? Dang AT&T and their horrible international rates. Oh well. I survived, had a great work week, and got the opportunity to see a little bit of Vancouver (which rarely happens).

Here are a few pictures from The Capilano Bridge. It is 240 feet high, the length of two 747 airplanes (wing tip to wing tip) and was pretty dag on scary to walk across.

This area is straight out of a Twilight movie. I would not have been shocked at all if Edward Cullen whooshed right passed me hunting his food.

As you can see I am sporting my new Express Military Ruffle Coat that I featured in previous posts (see here). It was pretty cold in Vancouver at 16 degrees Celsius or below the entire time we were there...I am still trying to remember the conversion for Celsius to Fahrenheit...oh well, let's just say "it wasn't warm." The coat looked great and kept me toasty warm.

In other exciting news...an H&M was attached to our hotel. How incredible was that?! I could have picked up a ton of things....but my new theme song is "Control" .,..so I had to take it easy. I picked up a fabulous fur scarf featured here on J's Fashion Blog for about $17 and a great little striped-t with a ruffle sleeve.

Pats self on back for having control. Now if I could only get back on East Coast time. The Hubs is knocked out snoring and I'm....well....obviously not.

World Equestrian Games 2010

Our city was blessed to host the W.E.G this year. We (residents of Lexington) were for sure it was going to cause havoc on our town, all the roads were re-done, a hotel was suppose to be built (instead we got a big green spot downtown) and lots of really cool free concerts downtown (most of which were country...because all people in KY love counry- NOT!). I kept waiting for it to get insane but it just never did. Maybe the last six months of construction hell really paid off.

Here are some great pics my hubby snapped of me and some friends for a day at the Horse Park and watchin the "Vaulting" competition. I started out with a really cute outfit. My ATL OTKB, my new AE Jeggings, and a new striped sweater from ATL....but it went from 60-85 degrees and I ended up sweating from the 2 mile walk into the park, so it ended up being "t-shirt time!"



Notice the adorable boots...even though it turned out to be 80 degrees.




Big Chair, Hot Girls




Don't challenge me...I will do it.





WEG 2010 Vaulting




Whoot, Whoot! Tractor Trolley




Little PDA on the Tractor Trolley